Foreign Language Communication Anxiety Outside of a Classroom

Abstract

Three studies examined foreign language communication anxiety (FLCA) in adults who use a non-native language in non-classroom settings. Study 1 (N = 102) validated the unidimensionality and the functionality of a proposed FLCA scale and a seven-item version. Study 2 included 224 participants living in the United States, and Study 3 included 216 participants living in India. The FLCA instrument was also psychometrically valid in Studies 2 and 3. The proposed two models (growing anxiety and growing confidence) that described the relationship between foreign language use and FLCA were both supported. Study 2 supported a concave curvilinear relationship (i.e., growing anxiety then growing confidence), and Study 3 supported a convex curvilinear relationship (i.e., growing confidence then growing anxiety). These results suggest that FLCA is an important construct to consider in intercultural communication, and that the function it plays in everyday life may differ based on cultural or linguistic setting.